Music and Material Culture

Music and Material Culture One-Day WorkshopDuring the last decade, many disciplines have been increasingly oriented towards the study of material culture, exploring the relations between objects and people. From different perspectives within the humanities and social sciences, this 'material turn' has emphasized both the materiality of objects, and their social life as bearers of cultural meaning. Music and sound studies have also seen a growing interest in objects and materiality, with approaches ranging from the relations of music and space, the technologies of sound production and consumption, and the materiality of musical notation, to the raise of 'materialism' as opposed to the 'idealism' that governed traditional musicology. However, these developments have taken place in a generally uncoordinated manner, and the purpose of this conference is to bring them together in such a way as to deepen knowledge and promote discussion of objects and materiality in music and sound studies.  This workshop proposes to create a bridge between material culture studies and musical studies, exploring the wide range of objects that interact with musical practice and consumption, sound production, and the sense of hearing. The workshop has a  wide regional and historical scope, ranging from Medieval times to the present. Some of the topics that will be addressed in the workshop are:  

• The theoretical and methodological challenges of materialism in musicology 
• The social life of musical instruments: a new organology 
• Scientific knowledge and ideas of the material in music and sound 
• The body and the senses 
• Mobility and cultural exchange 
• Sonic materiality and immateriality of music

Organising Committee:
Amparo Fontaine (University of Cambridge)
Vera Wolkowicz (University of Cambridge)
Violeta Nigro Giunta (CRAL/EHESS)
Nicolò Palazzetti (CRAL/HESS)

This workshop is jointly organised by the University of Cambridge and CRAL/HES (Paris) and is supported by the  Faculty of Music (University of Cambridge) and the Music & Letters Trust